


lost again with no surprises

by katierosefun



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Ahsoka Tano Needs a Hug, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Miscommunication, Missing Persons, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Post-Season/Series 05, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:46:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29025948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katierosefun/pseuds/katierosefun
Summary: When Anakin goes missing under mysterious circumstances, Obi-Wan takes it upon himself to find his former apprentice. However, finding Anakin is no easy task—which is why Obi-Wan teams up with a particular former grandpadawan.[or: a galaxy-wide road trip au because nothing says ‘fix your family issues’ like a good old road trip between a Jedi dad and his estranged daughter.]
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 85
Kudos: 305





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> [if you're curious about the vibes of this fic, you can find the playlist here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1JZxmQzE95cJih5YLAKAsS)
> 
> [you can also find me on tumblr!](https://katierosefun.tumblr.com/)

_“Listen to me—”_

_“No—let_ go, _Obi-Wan—”_

_Obi-Wan let go._

\--

Two weeks later, Obi-Wan Kenobi wished he hadn’t.

Two weeks.

Two weeks of not knowing where Anakin Skywalker was.

The first day of the two weeks had comprised of quietly walking around the ship, wondering whether Anakin was still in the hangers. He was _always_ in the hangers when he was angry about something: either fixing that starfighter of his or talking to Artoo.

Then the second day passed, and Anakin Skywalker was nowhere to be found.

Then the third and fourth and fifth and sixth days passed, and then the seventh and eighth and ninth and tenth, and that was how Obi-Wan found himself here, now, standing at the viewport of the cruiser and looking down at Coruscant with a knot in his stomach. The strange silence of the cruiser didn’t help matters, either. The once busy hubbub and chatter of the cruiser was nothing more than a dull buzz of murmured relays.

Rex stood beside Obi-Wan. The captain hadn’t said much since Anakin was announced missing. His back was rigid and ramrod straight, but his eyes were tired and sad. He hadn’t been the same—none of them had been the same for a long while, but now _this_ …

“We’ll find him,” Rex said now. His voice was hoarse—all their voices were a little hoarse from too little sleep and too much of everything that came along with trying to find a person who was gone.

“We will,” Obi-Wan replied quietly. The lights and buildings of Coruscant became clearer before him as the ship lowered itself through the atmosphere. Obi-Wan heard Rex inhale. He waited for the exhale, but it never came.

\--

“Disturbing, this news is,” Yoda said. The wise master’s brown eyes were tired, forlorn. The rest of the Council was no better, their expressions all on some spectrum of troubled. Only a few of them were present, Obi-Wan noticed. The war had stretched them so thin at this point—even the holograms weren’t active. “Where Skywalker could have gone, know do you?”

“No,” Obi-Wan replied. He bowed his head, focusing only on where the hem of his cloak fell to the floor. The cloak itself was heavy on his shoulders, but he hadn’t particularly felt like taking it off. “None of the escape pods were taken, and no one came aboard the cruiser.”

“And the last time you saw him?” Windu.

Obi-Wan stiffened. He saw a hallway, Anakin’s angry face. Grabbing Anakin’s arm back, trying to tell him to _wait, listen_ —and then Anakin yanking himself away. Angry words. Watching Anakin walk in the other direction and then coming back to Anakin’s quarters to try again—finding nothing there.

“Obi-Wan?”

Obi-Wan cleared his throat, lifted his head. “Outside his quarters,” he said. “But he walked away. I assumed he needed some time to think.”

“Think?”

Obi-Wan paused. “We had a conversation,” he said carefully. At the Council’s still silence, Obi-Wan added, “Not something that we haven’t discussed before. It wouldn’t have been reason for him to just _disappear_.”

“No,” Plo Koon said, troubled. “You say no one came aboard the cruiser at all?”

“No one,” Obi-Wan replied. His eyes felt heavy, and he was tempted to rub at his face again. He would have if he weren’t standing in front of the Council at this moment. “Captain Rex and I checked all the security footage in the cruiser, and everyone is accounted for.”

Grim murmurs. Obi-Wan focused on the shadows that stretched across the chamber floor. They darkened the warm tiles.

“Who else knows of Skywalker’s disappearance?” Windu asked at last.

“Besides the entirety of the 501st, just myself,” Obi-Wan replied. “A few of my own men. We made sure to keep things quiet as of now.”

Yoda nodded. “Not kidnapped, Skywalker may be,” he said slowly. “But _gone_ …”

“We don’t want that information in the wrong hands,” Windu said, pressing his lips together. He looked at Obi-Wan. “In the meantime, we’ll pass along the message to a select few. Perhaps some of our other forces will come across Skywalker.”

“And the 501st?” Obi-Wan asked, thinking of the dark circles under Rex’s eyes. “They’re worried.”

“Lose hope, they should not,” Yoda said. “Find Skywalker, we _will_.” This last part was said with just enough force to stir the rest of the Council. Obi-Wan just nodded, although everything else still felt too heavy.

\--

The captain didn’t say anything when Obi-Wan passed on the message, not at first. They were standing outside the barracks, but Rex hadn’t taken off his armor yet. His helmet rested under his arm. He kept rubbing a hand over his head, eyes lost in thought. Somewhere in the background, other clones were either going to the mess hall or running the last of their evening laps. White lights flickered from the windows.

“So that’s it,” Rex said, looking at Obi-Wan.

“People are looking for him,” Obi-Wan said. “And they will find him.”

Rex sighed. The weather was cold enough for Obi-Wan to see breath materialize into vapor, then drift into nothingness. Rex turned his eyes up to the dark sky, and Obi-Wan heard the slight hitch in the captain’s breath and knew the words coming even before they were said. Still, something in him went cold when Rex asked, “And how are they going to do that, General?”

There was nothing necessarily malicious or angry in Rex’s voice—just weariness, and something underlying even that. Accusation. Just the slightest bit of it, just enough for Obi-Wan to recognize because he knew how that tone got there in the first place.

“We were the only ones on the ship. We _saw_ the footage. We were all _there_ , and _we_ searched.” Rex shook his head. “Unless General Skywalker suddenly knows how to breathe in _outer space_ or teleport to other planets, then I don’t see how…”

“We don’t have all the information,” Obi-Wan said.

Rex looked at Obi-Wan. “We have _all_ the information,” he said. “We were the only ones there.”

Obi-Wan dropped his eyes to the ground. He waited for Rex to continue, but he didn’t.

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said after a while. “I know.”

“Then you know how—” Rex stopped. A short breath later, and then, “You _know_ how this sounds, don’t you General?”

“Of course I do,” Obi-Wan replied. He forced himself to look at Rex in the eye. That was harder than he thought it would be—Rex’s expression was a mirror to Obi-Wan’s own. The same tired eyes, pressed lips. Shadows. “Rex. I know how worried you are.”

He set a hand on Rex’s shoulder. “We’ll find him—you said it yourself.”

Rex straightened. Obi-Wan wondered if the man would pull away, but Rex just shook his head.

“I’m not the only one you have to tell, do you?” Rex asked.

Obi-Wan and Rex both looked beyond the barracks, to where the rest of the city waited.

“No,” Obi-Wan said.

\--

Despite the late hour, Padmé Amidala was still awake. Obi-Wan knew she would have to be, but he was still surprised when she answered the door herself. Her hair was unbound, face bright, eyes wide and a hopeful smile already at her lips when the door opened.

But then, blinking, Padmé said, “Obi-Wan.”

“Padmé,” Obi-Wan said, nodding his head a little. “I’m sorry for interrupting your night.”

“No,” Padmé said quickly, stepping aside. “You’re not interrupting anything.” She walked back into the apartment, her arms folding over her front. She was just getting ready for bed, Obi-Wan realized, and he was all the sorrier for coming now. He should have come later, perhaps in the morning…

“Is there something I can help you with?” Padmé asked, turning around.

“No,” Obi-Wan said. His eyes dipped to where Padmé’s hands were. When he looked back up at the senator, Padmé had dropped her hands to her sides, but her expression didn’t change.

“Well,” Padmé said, resting a hand on the top of the couch, “I’m assuming you’re not just here for company—even though I’d be touched if you were.” She smiled a little at that part, but there was still just the slightest of furrows between her brows. A slight tilt of her head.

Obi-Wan cleared his throat. “Padmé,” he started.

“Yes?” Again, her expectant smile. Growing a little more confused now because Obi-Wan wasn’t smiling. “What is it?” Then, straightening, Padmé asked, “Is it Anakin? Is he hurt?”

Her voice was steady. Surprisingly so, but just underneath—just barely there, just as Obi-Wan had been able to pick up on the accusation under Rex’s voice, he could hear the slightest quiver of worry in Padmé’s. All the same, Padmé’s eyes remained fixed on his, her chin lifted high.

“No,” Obi-Wan replied, and when Padmé relaxed, he wanted nothing more than to find his friend right this instant. Angry words aside.

“But he’s—” Obi-Wan took a few steps forward. Stopped as the wariness returned to Padmé’s face.

“What is it?” Padmé asked. Her hands were creeping up to her front again. Obi-Wan wasn’t sure if she was even aware of that. It made things worse.

“You should sit down,” Obi-Wan said quietly.

Padmé’s lips parted. She blinked a few times, closed her mouth. She walked the slow steps around the couch, sat down. Looked back up at Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan looked back down at her. His throat dried.

“Aren’t you going to sit down?” Padmé asked. She wasn’t quite looking at him.

Obi-Wan sat on the other side of the couch.

Padmé turned to him. Her eyes were a little more focused this time. “Tell me.”

Obi-Wan looked down at Padmé’s hands. They had slid down to her lap, but if he lifted his eyes a little higher, he could see just how the senator’s clothes folded and draped over her. Protected her.

“Anakin’s missing,” Obi-Wan said.

Padmé’s hands twitched.

“What do you mean, he’s missing?” Padmé asked.

Obi-Wan lifted his gaze to Padmé’s face. Her eyes were wider now, dark and unblinking. The look would have been almost eerie if Obi-Wan hadn’t known why she looked the way she did.

“Obi-Wan,” Padmé repeated. “What do you mean, he’s missing?”

“We were coming back here,” Obi-Wan said. He waited for Padmé to react, but she just kept looking at him. “One moment he was with us, and the next…we couldn’t find him anywhere on the ship. No one came on board the ship, and there weren’t any ships or pods missing.”

“That’s impossible,” Padmé said sharply. She stood up, paced away from the couch. Hands twitched again. “No one goes missing like that. If Anakin…”

“We don’t know where he is, Padmé.”

Padmé turned around. Her arms were wound around her sides. “How long?” 

Obi-Wan closed his eyes briefly. “Two weeks.”

“Two _weeks_ —”

“The Council has already been notified,” Obi-Wan said, standing up. He walked over to Padmé, but she stepped away. He dropped his hands to his sides. “We’ll bring him home.”

“No—I—” Padmé’s voice was tight. She took another step backwards, bumped against her desk. She turned around abruptly, a hand lifting to cover her mouth. She lowered her head. “I know. I know that you will.”

They were both quiet.

“Two weeks…” Padmé said at last. She brought her hand to her mouth again. “Do you have any idea where he is?”

Obi-Wan could see his own reflection in the window behind Padmé’s—the sky was dark enough for him to see it. He looked away.

“The Council has been notified,” he said. “Everyone’s keeping an eye out for now.”

“An eye out?” Padmé repeated, and there it was—that incredulity that Obi-Wan had heard in Rex’s voice, and now it was shaping Padmé’s. She looked at Obi-Wan, her brows knitting together. “An _eye_ out…”

“We have enough forces spread out,” Obi-Wan said. “There’s a good chance that someone might run into Anakin, and given his…tendency to attract attention—”

“No, I know,” Padmé said. She looked at Obi-Wan. “I just…do _you_ have an idea of where he is?”

She looked so hopeful then, and Obi-Wan hated that he had no choice but to shake his head.

Padmé lowered her eyes. “I see,” she said. She bowed her head, her curls falling over her face.

Obi-Wan looked to where Padmé’s other hand was. She had it resting at the edge of the desk. Her knuckles were white already, the tips of her fingers bright red from squeezing the edge so hard.

“Padmé,” Obi-Wan said quietly.

Padmé didn’t respond. Obi-Wan heard a few shaky, barely controlled breaths.

Obi-Wan looked to the window. He could make out their reflections again, and even though he knew that only a few minutes had passed, he felt that the sky had grown even darker to make their reflections clearer: Padmé, with her hand still covering her mouth. Obi-Wan, his hands hanging limply at his sides.

He lowered his eyes before Padmé could notice him watching.

“If there is anything…” he started. 

Padmé still didn’t respond, but Obi-Wan saw her hand slacken against the desk.

“If there is anything you might need,” Obi-Wan said quietly, “please let me know.” 

Padmé looked up. Her eyes were wet, face pale. She looked at him for a moment, opened her mouth again. Closed it. She started to shake her head, but halfway through, that turned into a slow nod.

“I’m so sorry,” Obi-Wan said quietly.

Padmé nodded again. “I’m…I think—” She shook her head, her face crumpling. She dropped her hand from her mouth, and Obi-Wan closed the distance between them just as she lowered her head.

Obi-Wan rested a hand on Padmé’s back. He looked up at the ceiling lights until his eyes hurt.

\--

An hour later, Obi-Wan found himself lingering outside the Senate Building. He could go back to the Temple. Should go back to the Temple, because there was no one else he could contact about Anakin’s disappearance. The Council alerted, the 501st told to hold down, the only other friend—well, no, Obi-Wan realized. Not just a friend. He would be a fool at this point to ever call Padmé Amidala only a friend at this point.

Obi-Wan turned back around to the Senate Building. The lights were still on, and the lights over the rest of the planet were on, and even the Jedi Temple glowed against the night.

Obi-Wan turned away from the Senate Building and decided that it wasn’t time for him to go home just yet.

\--

Which was how Obi-Wan found himself instead walking through the many levels of Coruscant. He wasn’t sure how he started—just that he had at one point been walking on the upper levels, and then he had somehow descended lower and lower and lower until the gentler sounds of nighttime chatter and laughter were replaced by the sputtering of old speeders and the hissing of either civilian or hungry animal, Obi-Wan wasn’t sure.

Somewhere behind him, a glass shattered. Obi-Wan walked on.

He didn’t know why he was here.

Obi-Wan came to a slow stop. He looked up above him, found the rows and rows and rows of speeders moving back up to the upper levels or going down to the lower ones. Somewhere else, someone was shouting profanities at another driver. Obi-Wan found neon signs, neon paint in the haze of speeder exhaust and smoke.

He closed his eyes, rubbed a hand over his face. Tried to remember what time it was when he had left Padmé’s. How long he must have been down here, and how many hours there might be left until sunrise…sunrise, when he’d start to go back over the security camera footage and try to pinpoint exactly when and where Anakin had disappeared.

Obi-Wan dropped his hand from his face and looked back up at the speeders above him.

 _Anakin_ , he thought, _this is where you pull one of your miracles_.

No one answered.

 _So be it_.

Obi-Wan started in the opposite direction—back where he came, back up to the upper levels and back to the Temple and back to his quarters where he would try to sleep before realizing that he couldn’t sleep.

He only made it a few steps down the sidewalk when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye.

Obi-Wan paused, and then he heard the sudden _clatter-bang_ of a box of… _something_ s dropping to the ground. When he turned just the slightest, he made out the flicker of a fluorescent light—a light that hadn’t turned on before, but now glowed in what Obi-Wan realized had once been a darkened garage.

Later, Obi-Wan would realize that _this_ was probably the reason why he had been led down to the lower levels of Coruscant. Later, Obi-Wan would realize that _this_ was probably the reason why he had decided to walk back to the Temple at that exact moment, and later, Obi-Wan would realize that _this_ was probably the reason why, at that exact moment, he didn’t know what to do but stand still when he turned around.

She didn’t seem to notice him—not at first. She had a pair of goggles sitting on her forehead, one hand wiping itself on a rag and the other fumbling for a communicator. She was saying something that Obi-Wan couldn’t really make out—but she laughed once, and that was how Obi-Wan knew that this was most definitely her.

But then she paused, stopped mid-laugh. She said something else into the communicator, dropped it to the workbench. She straightened, cleared her throat.

Ahsoka Tano turned around.

And Obi-Wan stayed still.

She was taller than the last time Obi-Wan had seen her. He wasn’t sure why this was important, but it was.

“Ahsoka,” Obi-Wan said at last.

“Master Kenobi,” Ahsoka replied. She crossed her arms over her chest, her jaw set. “What brings you here?”

 _An accident_ , Obi-Wan thought. He should be heading on his own way.

He looked at Ahsoka. The light flickered above them.

“I need your help,” he said.

\--

_It’s dark here._

_He doesn’t know why it’s dark here, but it’s dark here._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “That’s impossible,” she said. “People don’t just vanish in thin air.”
> 
> “He did.”
> 
> “He doesn’t vanish in thin air,” Ahsoka said, turning around.

All things considered, Ahsoka Tano had a pretty okay life.

Not a pretty _good_ life—it would be a long, long while before she would be comfortable calling her life _good_ , but she had a pretty okay life, and she figured she could be at least a little satisfied in that. A pretty okay life that looked like having a steady job—a _job!_ She had a _job_ for the first time in her life—and talking to the old lady who lived next door and eating lunch with Trace, who Ahsoka sometimes caught stealing glances at her when she thought Ahsoka wasn’t looking. For the most part, Ahsoka pretended to not notice.

Which was what Ahsoka was doing right now. Pretending not to notice the little smile thrown her way when Trace walked into the garage.

“Morning,” Ahsoka said, leaning against the counter.

“You’re getting here early,” Trace replied, leaning against the other side of the counter. She dropped a paper bag in the space between them. “Picked up some food, in case you were interested.”

“In case _I_ was interested, or in case _you_ were interested?” Ahsoka asked, but she ripped open the bag. She smelled something fruity. Tugged out a jam pastry and grinned.

“So you _are_ interested?”

“I said absolutely nothing,” Ahsoka said, scooting the bag to Trace.

Trace grinned back, tugging out a pastry of her own. “Next time I’ll remember to actually bring caf,” she said. “Then we can have a complete breakfast.”

“Lucky us,” Ahsoka said. Taking a bite out of the pastry, she added, “Anything else we should be looking forward to?”

“Nothing,” Trace replied. “Unless you count later tonight?”

Ahsoka blinked. “Later tonight?”

“Well,” Trace said, pushing herself off the counter, “I mean…I _did_ mention it a little while ago. Just…” She suddenly seemed more interested in her pastry than Ahsoka. “I mean, it’s not really a big deal—but that holofilm’s coming out tonight, and I remember you were…pretty interested in the trailer, so…”

Ahsoka blinked again. “ _Oh_ ,” she said. She too looked down at her pastry, her face suddenly feeling a little warm. “I—yeah.”

“So…” Ahsoka felt Trace’s eyes on her—but when Ahsoka looked up, Trace was looking back down at her pastry. “I mean, if you’re busy tonight, then I _totally_ get it—we can just catch the film next time around, and it’s not that big a deal to begin with—”

“No, Trace,” Ahsoka said quickly. “I…” She tore off a bit of the pastry. “That seems…”

She looked at Trace again, and this time, she caught her staring. Ahsoka cleared her throat and twisted that bit of pastry between her fingers.

“If you don’t want to,” Trace started, but Ahsoka shook her head.

“No,” Ahsoka said. “I…”

And that was when Ahsoka felt something inside her _snap_.

Sharp, fast, _cold_ —Ahsoka gasped, and she stumbled back, her hand blindly searching for her stomach, her chest for some wound—was she just shot? was she bleeding?—and then pain, _so much pain_ …her knees hurt, her chest hurt, her head hurt, and Ahsoka heard shouting above her.

Ahsoka let out a small cry, burying her forehead against the floor— _because that was the floor, she had fallen_ —and trying again to search for whatever had made her feel this lost and this hurt and this _cold_ , _why was she so cold_ …

“Ahsoka?” Hands tugged at her shoulders, dragged her up from the floor. “ _Ahsoka_ —hey— _hey_ , stay with me—”

Ahsoka opened her eyes. Blinked a few times, hissed at the bright light.

“Sorry, sorry.” Trace adjusted herself, and a moment later, the light was blocked out by herself. Ahsoka found Trace’s brown eyes, wide and searching. “Are you okay? What was that? _Are you okay?_ ”

“I’m…” Ahsoka tried to sit up, found that she couldn’t. Her throat was dry, her hands cold. “I don’t know.” She pushed a hand up to her head, as though that could stop the pounding—but it didn’t.

“Was it the food?” Trace asked. “If it’s—”

“No,” Ahsoka replied. “I don’t think it’s…”

She set a hand over her chest, right where she thought she had been hurt. The cold and the pain, so sudden and sharp enough for Ahsoka to feel as though she had been stabbed or cut than anything else. Ahsoka frowned, trying to search…search for _something_ , she wasn’t sure right now, but she had _lost_ something, she was sure of that much. She had _lost_ something, and she couldn’t find it, and—

Ahsoka’s blood ran cold.

“I need…” Ahsoka staggered up to her feet. “I need to go right now.”

Trace stared up at her. Then, jumping up, she asked, “Why? Do I—should I—”

“You can’t do anything,” Ahsoka replied, and Trace’s brows furrowed. “Not—I don’t mean it like that.”

“Then what do you—”

“It’s just—” Ahsoka looked around the garage. Grabbed her bag, slipped it over her shoulders.

“I’m sorry,” she added, half to Trace, half to the floor. “I just have to check something. It’ll just be…a little while. Just something quick.”

“If you…”

But Ahsoka didn’t hear the rest of what Trace was going to say. She rushed out of the garage.

\--

Ahsoka reached her apartment in just a few quick strides. She dumped her bag on the ground, tugged out her datapad. Technically, she could have just done all this back at the garage—she _knew_ she could, but she also knew that she couldn’t do it front of Trace, not with…well, discussing things with Trace would be—

Ahsoka shook her head. _Focus_ , she had to focus, because right now, there were more serious things at hand, like—

Like why she had felt her bond with Anakin _break_.

“He’s fine,” Ahsoka muttered to herself, turning on the datapad. “He has to be fine. He’s always fine.”

She was almost frightened by how easily she managed to get through the firewalls and security meant to protect the mission assignments of the Republic. A few taps of her fingers, some more muttering and swearing under her breath, and she found herself looking at the mission logs and assignment details of the last week, month, year.

Ahsoka paused, staring down at the screen. She knew that if she looked past a certain date, she would find documents regarding a certain bomb, a certain murder, a certain trial. Her fingers hovered over the screen for another moment before she slipped to the search bar.

 _Anakin Skywalker_ , she typed.

The page took too long to load.

Ahsoka slapped her datapad, even though she knew that would do nothing to speed the connection. There was a good chance that she was too far below to actually secure the signal…

Ahsoka looked back down at her screen. Still loading.

Stuffing her data pad in her bag, Ahsoka rushed out of her apartment. She rushed past a group of lazy-eyed kids, only actually, they were probably closer to her age. One of them lazily waved at her, one hand still clumsily trying to work open the door.

Ahsoka rushed past, ignoring the half-protest from behind. She rushed out the apartment building, met with a gust of cold air, the stench of an engine. She halted, looked down at her datapad in time to see the bars flicker to life.

“Come on,” Ahsoka murmured, hitting her datapad. “Come _on_ …”

She waited as one bar turned into two, flickered to three before going back to two.

Ahsoka could work with that.

She walked away from the apartment building, watching the page load line by line: first revealing Anakin’s name, bold and familiar and one that Ahsoka still paused at whenever she saw the news. She could probably find his name anywhere, maybe just as quickly as she could find her own.

Ahsoka watched Anakin’s photo come up next: she knew that it was a few years old because his hair was so much shorter here. He still looked grim in his photo, looking so much more serious than the person Ahsoka had gotten to know. _Did_ know.

The rest of the page loaded.

And there, right next to his photo, Ahsoka found what she had been dreading:

_MISSING_

Ahsoka stared.

The doors opened behind her. Someone pushed past, and she dropped the data pad.

Ahsoka looked up. The person who had run into her hadn’t even bothered turning around.

Ahsoka lowered herself to the ground. Picked up the data pad.

_MISSING_

“No,” Ahsoka said, her stomach going cold. “You’re not.”

\--

That had been two weeks ago.

Two weeks of Ahsoka hacking into security and military documents.

Two weeks of not knowing where Anakin Skywalker was.

Two whole weeks, quietly turning down Trace’s offers to maybe get lunch or dinner or see the holofilm that they meant to watch a while ago. Trace still dropped breakfast and caf.

“Listen,” Trace said at last, grabbing her jacket, “I don’t know what’s going on with you—I really don’t—but if you ever feel like talking…” She gave Ahsoka a halfhearted smile that Ahsoka wished she could return. 

Ahsoka tugged at the handle of the bike she was working on. “I know,” she replied.

“So…”

“So,” Ahsoka said, lowering herself to the seat. “I…”

“Yeah?”

Ahsoka looked over her shoulder. Trace still had her jacket over her arm, brown eyes wide and waiting.

For a moment, Ahsoka considered hopping off the bike, walking back with Trace to whatever food court that they had frequented. Maybe actually seeing that film. She had gone to the theater before, of course, but that had only ever been with—

“I have to stay here,” Ahsoka said, turning back around to the bike. “I’m just…a little busy right now.”

Ahsoka could still feel Trace’s eyes on her.

And then, “Yeah. Okay.”

Ahsoka heard footsteps leading out of the garage, and when Ahsoka turned back around, Trace was gone.

Ahsoka slid off the motorbike. She looked out the garage again, wondering if maybe Trace was going to come back—she could have left something, but there were no footsteps to be heard.

It was just her again.

Ahsoka picked up her data pad and, sitting down, started her search again.

\--

Ahsoka woke up to the sound of a communicator beeping.

Hands fumbling for the device, Ahsoka sat up. “’lo?”

“Wanna tell me why you’re living in the garage?”

Ahsoka looked around. She was still resting against the side of the motorbike, datapad…out of battery.

 _Wonderful_. She had forgotten to bring her charger.

“I’m not _living_ in the garage,” Ahsoka said. She stood up, looking around for the toolbox. If Rafa was going to call her, then she might as well at least _sound_ like she was working. “I’m a little behind on work anyways.”

“Uh-huh,” Rafa said. “Trace told me that you were a little distracted.”

Somewhere in the background, Ahsoka heard Trace’s muffled, “ _Did not._ ”

Ahsoka reached for the toolbox still sitting on the workbench. “I’m only a little distracted,” she said. “Things have been a little…off lately.” That wasn’t a lie, at least.

“Your Jedi magic picking up on something?”

Ahsoka closed her eyes. “It’s not _magic_ ,” she said, dropping the toolbox. The sound was a lot louder than she expected. “Oops.”

“You’re not throwing stuff around, are you?” Rafa asked. “’Cause that stuff was _expensive_.”

“I’m sure,” Ahsoka said. She wiped her free hand on a rag, got to plucking out some of the tools. “Anyways, did you just call to check if I was still in the garage? Because if you need me to work on something…”

“No,” Rafa replied. “I was just wondering if we should move your bed to the garage, considering it’s basically your home now.”

“I’ll be fine,” Ahsoka said.

“Jedi don’t need beds?”

“I’m…” Ahsoka rolled her eyes, crouching back down to the motorbike. “Anything else you need, Rafa?”

“Nah. Just calling to check in.”

“And here I was, thinking that you didn’t like me,” Ahsoka said, standing up. She had grabbed the wrong tool.

“I don’t,” Rafa replied.

“Uh-huh.” Ahsoka slipped the communicator into her other hand. “Later, Rafa.”

“Bye—and also, stop turning down my sister. She looks _pathetic_.”

Ahsoka blinked. But when she looked back down at her communicator, the call had ended. Ahsoka looked down at the little device for another minute before putting it back down on the workbench.

Ahsoka set her hand back over the communicator. Considered, just briefly, calling back. Asking Rafa if _hi, could I actually speak to Trace? and explain that_ —

Ahsoka let out a short laugh, rubbing a hand over her face. She wouldn’t even know what she’d be trying to explain. If she’d try to explain anything at all…

And then suddenly, Ahsoka felt something prickle at the back of her neck. She wasn’t sure what it was, not at first—but it felt too familiar. Not cold like the feeling Ahsoka had gotten before, but warm. Warm and…

Ahsoka turned around.

She should have been surprised—at least, a small part of herself wanted to be surprised, but when she saw Obi-Wan standing in front of the garage, she realized that she wasn’t.

He was thinner than she remembered. She could make out his cheekbones, hiding even under that beard of his—which had more grey hairs. He, in general, was just greyer than the last time Ahsoka had seen him.

“Ahsoka,” he said.

He even sounded greyer somehow.

“Master Kenobi,” Ahsoka replied. She cleared her throat and suddenly wished she hadn’t, because it made her sound more surprised than she wanted to be,

Her arms hung awkwardly at her sides, so she crossed them over her chest. “What brings you here?”

Obi-Wan just looked at her. Ahsoka lifted her chin, winding her arms tighter around herself. Did he _know_ —

He had to know, Ahsoka realized. Out of everyone, he had to be one of the first ones to know.

“I need your help,” Obi-Wan said at last.

So Ahsoka’s instincts were right.

“He’s gone, isn’t he?” Ahsoka asked.

If Obi-Wan was surprised, he didn’t show it.

“He is,” Obi-Wan replied.

“Two weeks ago?” When Obi-Wan just looked at her, Ahsoka added, “I…felt something. Two weeks ago.”

Obi-Wan dropped his head. “Yes.”

Ahsoka regarded Obi-Wan warily. “How?”

“I don’t know.” Obi-Wan met Ahsoka’s eyes. “We were on the ship one day, and the next—he’s gone.”

Ahsoka’s mouth dried. “That’s impossible,” she said. “People don’t just _vanish_ in thin air.”

“He did.”

“ _He_ doesn’t vanish in thin air,” Ahsoka said, turning around. “Did you check the escape pods? Or the starfighters? Maybe he flew out—”

“We checked. Everything is accounted for.”

“Clearly not,” Ahsoka said, picking up her data pad. She looked down at the blinking bars, at the documents that she had pulled up.

“Were you…”

Ahsoka turned around. Obi-Wan still stood at the front of the garage, but from his expression, she could tell that he must have seen what she was looking at. Setting her data pad back down on the workbench, Ahsoka said, “I was looking for him too. Couldn’t find anything, of course—not with everything basically blacklisted.”

“Not blacklisted,” Obi-Wan murmured. “Just missing. There wasn’t too much information from our side.”

Ahsoka just looked at Obi-Wan again. “Sure,” she said after a while. She leaned against the workbench, crossing her arms again. “So when you say you need my help…”

“Finding Anakin,” Obi-Wan replied. He walked into the garage, looking around at the motorbikes, the speeders, the ships. Ahsoka felt an odd twinge of protectiveness over all the vehicles suddenly, and she was tempted to shove him out of the garage, close the doors.

She remained at the workbench instead. “On your own, or is this an assignment?”

Obi-Wan met Ahsoka’s gaze. “Does it matter?” he asked wearily.

“Dunno,” Ahsoka replied. “Does it?”

Obi-Wan pressed his lips together, looked away. “I didn’t realize you were here,” he said quietly.

“Well, I didn’t think you’d make your way down here either,” Ahsoka said, pushing herself away from the workbench. She leaned over, picking up the toolbox. She slammed it down harder on the workbench than she meant to. Her communicator rattled. “So I guess we’re both in for some weird surprises today.”

“Ahsoka—”

Before Obi-Wan could say whatever it was he meant, Ahsoka heard footsteps, then voices.

“Ahsoka? Is someone—”

Ahsoka looked up to find Trace and Rafa both hovering at the garage doors. Her heart sank, and before she realized exactly why, Trace was already walking over to Ahsoka, her eyes narrowed on Obi-Wan. “Is this guy bothering you?”

Obi-Wan blinked.

Ahsoka, too, stared as Trace stepped protectively over the workbench. “Trace—when did you—” She shook her head. “It’s fine. He’s…”

She looked at Obi-Wan, who just stepped back. “He’s not bothering me like _that_.”

“Of course he’s not,” Rafa said, striding forward. “Trace, _look_ at him—he’s a _Jedi_.”

Trace blinked, looked at Obi-Wan again. Ahsoka noticed Trace’s eyes flicking down to Obi-Wan’s robes, then to where his lightsaber hilt was just barely glinting under the lights. “Oh.”

Then, eyes narrowing, Trace said, “ _Still_.”

“I mean no harm,” Obi-Wan said, looking to Ahsoka. “I’m only here to speak to your friend.” He tilted his head at Ahsoka. “That is, if she’s so willing.”

At this, both Trace and Rafa looked at Ahsoka.

Ahsoka pressed her lips together. “Five minutes.”

\--

Obi-Wan and Ahsoka stood outside the garage.

“You look well,” Obi-Wan said after a while.

“You look…” Ahsoka looked at him once, turned back around to look at the rest of the streets. She didn’t bother finishing that sentence, and she had the feeling that Obi-Wan would at least appreciate that she wasn’t trying to flatter him.

Ahsoka kept her arms crossed over her chest. “What is it?” she asked at last. “You said that you wanted to talk to me, so.”

“Yes,” Obi-Wan replied. He lowered his eyes to Ahsoka; she straightened herself so that he wouldn’t have to (or at least, not as much). If he noticed the gesture, Obi-Wan didn’t react. “Clearly, you felt… _something_ happen, and if there’s anyone else who might…be more likely to get in contact with him…”

Ahsoka blinked.

“What about you?” she asked. She hadn’t meant to ask that.

Obi-Wan looked at her.

“He would contact you,” Ahsoka heard herself say. “Or try Rex. Or—” _Senator Amidala_ , Ahsoka was tempted to say, but she bit that back. Some things…she wasn’t entirely sure she could say even now.

“He hasn’t contacted either of them,” Obi-Wan replied. “As for myself—”

He stopped again, and for a moment, a shadow seemed to fall over Obi-Wan’s face. Or maybe that was because a speeder had just passed by, lighting the two of them both briefly in an orange-yellow light before it flew past.

“So you haven’t heard anything from him,” Ahsoka said.

“No.” Obi-Wan’s voice was quiet.

Ahsoka looked at the ground. Even under the dim light, she could make out the flecks of dirt and grime on her boots. The flecks of dirt and grime on Obi-Wan’s boots. “Oh.”

Ahsoka kicked at the ground once. “Then what are we doing?”

It was some time before Obi-Wan responded.

“I think,” he started, then stopped. “I _know_ that we have to find him.” He looked at Ahsoka, his eyes steady. “And you know too.”

Ahsoka bit down on the inside of her cheek, but she nodded once—one sharp movement.

Obi-Wan tilted his head back. “You asked if this is something the Council’s involved in—they aren’t.”

Ahsoka tried not to look surprised at _that_. She tightened her arms around herself. “Oh,” she repeated. Then, looking to Obi-Wan again, she asked, “So what? That’s your plan? Go off and find Anakin?”

“That’s why I’m asking for your help.”

Ahsoka frowned. She turned back to the street. Another speeder passed by.

“Ahsoka,” Obi-Wan said softly. “I know that this isn’t…”

“No,” Ahsoka said. She pushed herself off the wall, not bothering to look at Obi-Wan. “We’re not getting into that right now.” She turned around, letting her arms slip down to her sides. Forcing herself to meet Obi-Wan’s eyes, she added, “Right now, you just want my help to find Anakin. And—and I _want_ to find him.”

“But…”

“But nothing,” Ahsoka said. She kicked her foot at the ground. “We find Anakin. I’ll be here tomorrow morning.”

With that, Ahsoka started back to the garage.

But before she could actually walk inside, Obi-Wan called after her again.

“Ahsoka.”

Ahsoka paused, just steps within the garage’s entrance.

She could have sworn she heard footsteps, but when Ahsoka turned around, Obi-Wan was still in the same spot—half hidden in the shadow of the side of the building, the other half lit up from another speeder flying past.

“Tomorrow,” Ahsoka said. “Just be here tomorrow.”

She didn’t bother waiting for an answer. She turned around and walked back into the garage.

\--

_He remembers shouting, he realizes. He remembers shouting and pulling away from a warm hand, and he remembers darkness, and he remembers feeling—_

_Feeling something._

_He stands up now._

_No one waits for him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: you should update at a normal time! 
> 
> also me: lol i am awake now, no impulse control, will update at 6 am est instead :) 
> 
> as always, comments/kudos/subscriptions are greatly appreciated! see y'all in another two weeks!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We were busy searching beforehand,” Obi-Wan said. He looked at Ahsoka again. “The others only learned the news today as well.”  
> "The others,” Ahsoka repeated. Her hands tightened once over the controls, relaxed. Obi-Wan waited for her to do it again, but she didn’t. It might have been a reflex, but he knew that probably wasn’t it.

_“Everything alright, sir?”_

_Obi-Wan turned around. Rex stood at the front of the hallway, and he couldn’t tell how much the captain had seen or heard._

_Obi-Wan tried to smile. “I wish it were so,” he only said._

\--

Obi-Wan watched Ahsoka speak with who he now knew had to be owners of the garage. The girl who had jumped to Ahsoka’s defense—Trace—looked over Ahsoka’s shoulder once, made eye-contact with Obi-Wan. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously before turning back to Ahsoka.

Obi-Wan couldn’t see Ahsoka’s face, but he noted the way her shoulders relaxed. He thought he could hear her laugh: a short one, really nothing more than a huff, but that seemed to be enough for Trace’s shoulders to relax. He suddenly had the feeling that this wouldn’t have been the first time.

“I’ll be away for a little while,” Obi-Wan heard Ahsoka say.

“Starting when?”

“Tomorrow.”

At that, Trace’s face dimmed, but she nodded. “You need anything?”

“Nothing I can’t get already,” Ahsoka replied. “But thanks.”

The girls nodded at each other. The older one was watching them with just the slightest smile on her face, and Obi-Wan wondered exactly how long the three must have banded together, anyways. Not that he was surprised—he had a feeling that Ahsoka would find herself a group of friends. She always had a knack of making quick friends.

When Ahsoka turned around, she looked surprised to find Obi-Wan still standing there.

After a moment, she asked, “Anything else, Master Kenobi?”

Obi-Wan paused. He regarded the other girls standing behind Ahsoka. They had at least stopped looking at him as suspiciously as they had a few moments ago, but he could feel their wariness even from here.

“People will be surprised when I disappear tomorrow,” Obi-Wan said. “There are at least a few people I would like to let know first.” He hesitated. “And I think they would at least feel a little more assured knowing exactly _who_ I’m disappearing with.”

That was a lie, and they both knew it—the others wouldn’t have been surprised by Obi-Wan going off alone, but Obi-Wan thought of Padmé and Rex’s dejected faces and wondered if Ahsoka thought of them as much as they of her.

That was unfair, Obi-Wan chided himself. But he had still thought it.

Ahsoka’s expression flickered for just a moment—the slightest widening of her eyes, the tightening of her arms over her chest.

“Okay,” Ahsoka said slowly. “Why not.”

Obi-Wan nodded and stepped back.

“Do we have to walk?” Ahsoka asked, looking up at the other speeders.

“Well…” Obi-Wan gestured halfheartedly to their surroundings. “It won’t take long. I remember the way back—”

“You could borrow the speeder,” Trace said suddenly, perking up. “I just put it together.”

Both Ahsoka and Obi-Wan looked to Trace.

“What?” Trace asked. She walked across the workshop, hauling out what Obi-Wan observed was, in fact, a speeder that _did_ look as though it had spent…a considerable amount of time in the garage. The paint was rusted, and it squeaked a little as Trace hauled it out, but the girl smiled down at the vehicle, patting the front fondly. “I know that you probably have no problem getting around in the dark, _but_ …”

Trace scooted the speeder over to Ahsoka. “Anyways.”

Ahsoka took the speeder. “Thanks Trace,” she said. “I’ll…make sure not to wreck this one.”

This _one?_ Obi-Wan wondered.

“You can ruin all the speeders you like,” Trace said cheerfully. “Just get me lunch afterwards.” Trace paused. “Or, I mean—you don’t _have_ to—”

“Lunch,” Ahsoka repeated. She rubbed the back of her neck, turned to the side. “I mean, don’t we always—”

“Yeah,” Trace said, shoving her hands in herp pockets. “ _Yeah_ —just forget—”

“I think Ahsoka needs to go,” the older one interrupted.

Ahsoka turned to Obi-Wan. He pretended to examine the speeder handles, but he could feel Ahsoka’s steady gaze on him. There was something tremendously _older_ about the weight in her eyes, he realized. He had always known she was getting older, but something felt different about it now.

Obi-Wan lifted his head.

“Yeah,” Ahsoka said. “I have to go.”

She turned back around to the sisters. Obi-Wan caught the brief smile she gave them both, and then she was walking back up to the speeder.

“Right,” Ahsoka said, swinging a leg over the speeder. She looked at Obi-Wan. “Do you want to drive, or should I?”

Before Obi-Wan could respond, Ahsoka decided, “I’ll drive—I’ve fixed this one enough to know if something’s wrong.”

“ _Do_ you think something might be wrong?” Obi-Wan asked, getting into the passenger seat.

“No,” Ahsoka replied, twisting the key around in her hand. She leaned over, turned the key into the ignition. The speeder rumbled to life. “But I might as well expect for the worst. Seeing that that happens sometimes.”

Obi-Wan just nodded. He didn’t need an explanation for that.

Then they were hovering above the street. Obi-Wan smelled smoke, but Ahsoka didn’t seem particularly worried. She just twisted the key again.

Obi-Wan turned around anyways. Sure enough, there was a thin stream of vapor escaping from the back of the speeder. Not dark or condensed enough for Obi-Wan to be _completely_ uneasy, but still…he looked to the sisters, who still hovered at the entrance of the garage. The older one had her arms folded over her chest. The younger leaned against the entrance frame, arms similarly crossed, but they were looser somehow.

Ahsoka turned around. She waved once, and Obi-Wan thought he saw a real smile—but it was quick, and then Ahsoka was turning back around.

“So,” she said, drumming her hands against the controls, “where are we off to first?”

Obi-Wan looked up. More speeders had joined the air lanes since Obi-Wan had come down here—the daytime travelers had all gone to bed; now Coruscant greeted its nighttime guests.

“Senator Amidala’s,” Obi-Wan said. He looked at Ahsoka.

“Okay.” Ahsoka drummed her hands against the controls again. “She didn’t move, did she?”

“No,” Obi-Wan replied.

“Okay,” Ahsoka repeated.

The speeder ascended higher, higher…Obi-Wan looked up to find that the lights of clubs, bars had turned on. The wind picked up with their ascension, but Ahsoka didn’t seem to care.

Obi-Wan didn’t even need to give Ahsoka directions—as soon as they were out of the lower levels of Coruscant, she was already directing them back to more familiar, quieter streets leading back to the Senate apartments.

“So she knows too,” Ahsoka said.

Obi-Wan looked at Ahsoka. She was staring straight ahead.

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said. “I only told her today.” 

“Only today?”

“We were busy searching beforehand,” Obi-Wan said. He looked at Ahsoka again. “The others only learned the news today as well.”

“The others,” Ahsoka repeated. Her hands tightened once over the controls, relaxed. Obi-Wan waited for her to do it again, but she didn’t. It might have been a reflex, but he knew that probably wasn’t it.

“The Council,” Obi-Wan replied.

Ahsoka’s expression didn’t change. “I see,” she said.

They were both silent for only a little while longer before Obi-Wan said, “Your friends seem like good people.”

“They are,” Ahsoka said shortly.

When she didn’t continue, Obi-Wan said, “We’ll have to speak with Rex after—it’s only fair that he knows what we’re up to as well.”

“Rex,” Ahsoka repeated. Some of the coolness had faded from her face. She cleared her throat. “How is he?”

Obi-Wan remembered how tired Rex had looked at the barracks. Dark circles, face eerily lit from the lights of the barracks. The roughness of his voice, the two of them standing and waiting for something they didn’t even fully grasp.

“He’s worried,” Obi-Wan decided to say. He looked at Ahsoka again. “He was there when we first started searching.”

Ahsoka pressed her lips together. “And he doesn’t know where Anakin might have gone either?”

“No.”

“And the last time Rex saw him?”

“I’m not sure.”

Ahsoka didn’t say anything else for a while.

Obi-Wan looked out of the speeder, back up to the other speeders flying high above them.

“What about you?” Ahsoka asked.

Obi-Wan turned to Ahsoka. “Pardon?”

Ahsoka still had her eyes on the speeder in front of them. “When was the last time you saw him?”

“I told you about the ship.”

“I _know_ you told me about the ship,” Ahsoka said, shooting Obi-Wan a quick look. “But you had to have seen him before.”

Obi-Wan paused. “Outside his quarters,” he said.

“Did he say anything?”

The speeder in front of them coughed up black smoke.

“We fought,” Obi-Wan said.

He felt Ahsoka’s eyes on him, but this time, he didn’t look.

\--

Obi-Wan wasn’t surprised to find that Padmé was still awake by the time they reached the apartment. She was still dressed in her night clothes. Arms crossed tightly over her chest—everyone seemed to have their arms crossed, Obi-Wan realized—when the door opened.

“Is—” Padmé started, but then Obi-Wan stepped aside, and the senator’s voice died in her throat.

Ahsoka looked up and, for the first time that night, actually smiled. It was a small one, and one that Obi-Wan had the feeling he wasn’t actually meant to see, but it didn’t matter—Ahsoka wasn’t paying attention to him.

“Hi, Senator,” Ahsoka said in a small voice.

Padmé just stared. First at Ahsoka, then at Obi-Wan, then back to Ahsoka.

“Heard it’s been…a strange day,” Ahsoka said, rubbing her arm. She was still smiling a little at Padmé, albeit it had faded a little in the passed seconds.

“ _Strange_ ,” Padmé repeated. “How—” She looked at Obi-Wan again, blinked a few times.

“It might be better if we go inside,” Obi-Wan offered.

Padmé blinked again. “Of course,” she said, looking between the two again. “I—come in.”

Obi-Wan and Ahsoka walked forward. The door had just slid behind them when there was a rush of feet, and then Ahsoka’s strangled cry. When Obi-Wan turned around, he found that Padmé had ambushed Ahsoka—arms flung around Ahsoka’s neck, chin resting on her shoulder.

Ahsoka stiffened for a moment—but just for a moment before relaxing back into Padmé. She lifted her hands up to Padmé’s back, patted it a few times.

“ _You_ ,” Padmé said, “are in _so_ much trouble.”

“Why?” Ahsoka asked. She looked at the senator. “I didn’t—”

“You didn’t say goodbye, _that’s_ why,” Padmé said fiercely. She stood away from Ahsoka, her eyes searching the girl’s face. “How have you been? How have you _been?_ Were things—did you—”

“I’ve been fine,” Ahsoka said. She smiled again, briefly, although still genuine. Maybe a little more tired now. “I’ve been working—made some friends—it’s really not that…bad.”

“I’m sure it’s not,” Padmé said. “But _friends_ —what kind of—”

“Good friends,” Ahsoka said quickly. “They’re fine—but we can discuss all that later.” Ahsoka stepped away from Padmé, her hands slipping into her pockets. “But right now, Master Kenobi and I have other matters to discuss.”

Padmé looked over to Obi-Wan, her lips just barely parted. “Is this…”

“About Anakin,” Obi-Wan finished. He stepped forward. “I meant what I said earlier, Padmé—we _are_ going to find him. And Ahsoka…” He looked at Ahsoka, who had suddenly bent over to take care of her bootlaces. Obi-Wan didn’t even know that she wore laces on her boots anymore. She always complained that they were impractical.

“Ahsoka and I are going to find him together,” Obi-Wan finished. He looked at Ahsoka again, but she was still tying her laces. “She felt something. When he went missing.”

Ahsoka’s fingers paused. She lifted her head. When both Padmé and Obi-Wan looked down at her, she stood up.

“It’s true,” Ahsoka said to Padmé. “I didn’t think—” She stopped at Padmé’s expression. Obi-Wan didn’t blame Ahsoka for doing so—the senator was looking at Ahsoka with a new kind of intensity now, dark eyes wide and unblinking.

“Anyways,” Ahsoka said shortly. “We’re going to handle it. We’ll find him.”

“Do you two have any idea where he is?” Padmé asked, looking between them.

Ahsoka shook her head, her shoulders dropping just a little. “I wish I had more of an answer,” she said quietly. “I really do.”

“But you don’t have one,” Padmé finished. “At least, not right now.”

Ahsoka shook her head. “Not right now,” she echoed.

They were all quiet. Padmé brought a hand up to her lips, one arm still wound tight around her side. She walked deeper into the apartment, right into the living room. She hovered by the couch, her knuckles just barely brushing against her lips. Then she looked up at Obi-Wan and, after a moment, she asked, “Does anyone else know?”

“No,” Obi-Wan replied. At Padmé’s surprise, Obi-Wan said, “If there’s something amiss here—if there’s anything that gets out…”

They were quiet again. Obi-Wan focused on the arm of the couch.

“So why tell me?” Padmé asked.

Obi-Wan just looked at Padmé. Her expression had turned brave again: a quick mask, arms wound around herself again, but chin still lifted in obvious expectation.

“I think we both know,” Obi-Wan replied.

Padmé’s eyes flickered. She looked to Ahsoka instead—and Ahsoka, Obi-Wan found, didn’t look altogether surprised either. He didn’t expect her to be.

“We’ll bring him home,” Ahsoka said. She rested an arm against the head of the couch. “You can count on that, Padmé.”

Padmé’s face softened just the slightest. “I know,” she said. “I know.”

She looked back to Obi-Wan. “So when do you two plan to leave?”

“The sooner the better,” Obi-Wan replied. “Tomorrow.”

“Bright and early,” Ahsoka added.

Padmé nodded slowly. “If you two need anything…or if there’s any updates—”

“You’ll be the first one to know,” Obi-Wan said quietly.

Padmé pressed her lips together, nodded again. “In that case,” she said, gesturing deeper into the apartment, “if you two need some place to at least stay for just a few more hours…”

Ahsoka and Obi-Wan exchanged another quick look. Ahsoka’s eyes had widened just a fraction of an inch—she was already shaking her head when Padmé turned back around. “It’s really fine—”

“You two are going to be traveling,” Padmé said. “You might as well sleep in an actual bed.”

“I have a bed,” Ahsoka protested.

“Then have a more comfortable bed,” came Padmé’s response. She was already retreating into the rest of the apartment. She turned around, smiled both at Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. “Don’t just stand there.”

“Best do what she says,” Obi-Wan said. He nodded to Ahsoka. “I wouldn’t want to disappoint her.”

“The offer includes you, Obi-Wan,” Padmé said over her shoulder.

Ahsoka crossed her arms. She jerked her head to Padmé’s direction. “Do we have a choice?”

Obi-Wan eyed Padmé’s back. “Most certainly not.”

He turned back to Ahsoka. She wore a different look on her face now—he thought it could have been a smile except she noticed him watching, and she shrugged. “Tomorrow morning, then?”

Obi-Wan nodded, and they followed Padmé.

\--

Obi-Wan waited for sleep to come.

He knew that really, sleep would come quicker if he closed his eyes first. Closing his eyes would be a good start.

He kept his eyes open, watching the occasional light from outside dart across the room. Somewhere above, he felt warm air blowing through the vents. That could be the reason why he couldn’t fall asleep—everything was too still except for that warm air.

Obi-Wan snorted to himself. A weak lie if he ever told one.

He closed his eyes.

Waited one, two, three seconds that turned into forty, fifty, sixty before opening his eyes again.

He looked at the chronometer—early morning now.

Obi-Wan sighed, pushing the covers off himself. He found his boots, his cloak. He paused, then set his cloak down. He didn’t have anywhere to go. Not yet, anyways.

Obi-Wan slipped out of his room. Hot air still followed him through the halls, then into the living room. He wasn’t sure why the heat was turned up so high.

He almost walked into the living room before he heard voices. He stopped short at the end of the hallway, looked only once to see Padmé and Ahsoka sitting on the couch.

From this angle, Obi-Wan could only see the backs of their heads. Padmé’s head was bowed; Ahsoka’s head tilted back against the couch.

“How long do you think it’ll take?” Padmé asked at last.

“I’m not sure,” Ahsoka replied. Obi-Wan could barely hear them over the heaters. “Hopefully soon. You don’t happen to know where he…”

Padmé shook her head.

Ahsoka nodded, and the two lapsed back into silence.

Then, Ahsoka said, “I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner.” 

Padmé turned briefly to Ahsoka. “You don’t have to apologize for anything.”

Ahsoka’s shoulders bobbed up, down. “I’m still sorry.”

“I know. You still don’t have to apologize.”

Ahsoka looked over at Padmé. In the dim lighting, he saw her smile. Another small one, but another real one.

Obi-Wan retreated back down the hallway, careful to make his steps quiet as he could. But he suspected that Ahsoka and Padmé wouldn’t hear him either way. He found his room again, slid the door shut behind himself.

He looked into the dark room, watched the lights flicker across the ceiling for a little bit before pulling open the shades altogether.

Speeders passed by.

He looked down, down to where he could see people walking below. Then back up, out, to where the occasional light from another building or from a distant ship passed by.

_Where are you?_

\--

_“Hello?”_

_No one responds._

_He takes two steps forward, one step back when he feels nothing in his way. There’s nothing._

_“Hello?” he repeats. His voice echoes a little bit, and then he realizes: there is nothing for…miles and miles and miles._

_“Hello?” he says a third time._

_He reaches forward. His hand brushes against something._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, comments/kudos/subscriptions are appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “And what’s that supposed to mean?” Obi-Wan asked quietly.
> 
> Ahsoka paused. She crossed her arms tighter around herself. “You can’t be serious,” she said at last.

“So,” Padmé said. “How are you otherwise?”

Ahsoka looked up from her position on the couch. Their conversation had lapsed into one of a quieter kind, the kind where both Ahsoka and Padmé had their heads resting on the cushions and feet just barely brushing against each other’s.

“Fine,” Ahsoka replied. “Given the circumstances.”

“Given the circumstances,” Padmé echoed. “Well, if you’re fine…” She looked over at Ahsoka. “Are you going to tell me about your friends now?”

Ahsoka crossed her legs. “There’s not too much to tell,” she said. “I wound up at a garage—became friends with the sisters who run it.”

“What are their names?”

“Trace,” Ahsoka replied. “Trace and Rafa.”

“And they’re…”

“They’re great,” Ahsoka replied. She adjusted herself on the couch, brought herself by the arm. “It’s a funny story how I met them, actually—literally…crashed into them.” She cast Padmé an embarrassed glance. “Faulty speeder.”

“Oh?” Padmé asked, a corner of her lips twitching. But a moment later, she said, “You could have called me—if I had known, I would have been more than happy to give you…”

“No,” Ahsoka said, shaking her head. She looked back up at Padmé. “I had to go on my own. I wouldn’t have been able to ask—and if…” Her voice died in her throat. She looked back down at her hands. They felt cold suddenly, and she rubbed them against her pant leg. Not her actual pants—Padmé had given her sleeping clothes in the end. Accepting even that felt strange. The fabric felt strange, and the coldness in her hands—the _coldness in general_ —felt strange.

She closed her hands around her knees. “I didn’t want to risk anything.”

They both fell quiet.

Ahsoka closed her eyes. She waited for the heat of shame—embarrassment, at the very least—to warm the rest of herself, but it never came. Just the cold.

“Like you said,” Padmé said at last, “that was your choice. Something you had to do.”

Shifting on the couch forced Ahsoka to turn her eyes upwards. Padmé slid next to Ahsoka, rested an arm around her shoulders. Ahsoka noticed that Padmé’s hands were cold too, and dully, she wondered if maybe it was the room.

She knew it really wasn’t, but still.

Ahsoka dropped her head against Padmé’s shoulder. The arm around herself tightened lightly: a reassuring squeeze, and for the first time that night, something in Ahsoka loosened. She closed her eyes. She knew that Padmé had her eyes closed too. She could tell from the breathing. Underneath the breathing, if Ahsoka focused on anything lower, she could tell that there was something else too: the faintest of presences that weren’t Ahsoka or Padmé’s, and yet still familiar.

Ahsoka opened her eyes, looked up at Padmé, whose eyes remained closed.

“What is it?” Padmé asked at last.

“Nothing,” Ahsoka replied, then hesitated. Then, dropping her head back down, she asked quietly, quietly, too quietly for the rest of the world to hear, “Have you decided on names yet?”

Padmé’s breath hitched. “What—”

“Padmé,” Ahsoka said, and she couldn’t remember if she had had actually used Padmé’s name earlier that night. She thought it was fitting now.

Ahsoka sat up. Padmé had opened her eyes, and now she looked at Ahsoka with mild surprise. But only mild.

“I might not be a Jedi, but I’m still tuned to other living things,” Ahsoka said lightly. “And you…seem to have a lot of life going on in there.” She gestured once, maybe a little awkwardly. Her hand dropped to her lap.

Padmé pressed her lips together. After a moment, she asked, “Is that just a euphemism to say that I’m pregnancy-glowing?”

Ahsoka blinked. “Is that something that people say?”

“It’s… _something_ that’s said,” Padmé replied. Her lips twitched. “I haven’t heard it directed at me though. For…reasons.”

“Would you… _like_ to be called glowing?” Ahsoka asked after a little while.

Padmé let out a short laugh. “You know,” she said, “when my sister was pregnant, she told me that she got sick of hearing people saying that to her. _Glowing_ this and _glowing_ that—it gets tiring after a little while.”

“So…that’s a no?” Ahsoka asked.

“Let me finish,” Padmé said, sitting up. She looked at Ahsoka. “I don’t exactly have—or _know—_ what it feels like to be…sick of hearing that. Hearing anything. This….” She paused. “Like everything else, this particular chapter is an unusual one.”

“Well…” Ahsoka let herself smile. “I wouldn’t have expected any other way.”

Padmé laughed again. It was still quiet and tired, but the smile that followed actually reached her eyes this time around.

Then, suddenly, Padmé said, “When you said _lots of life_ …”

“Hm?” Ahsoka glanced over at Padmé. “Well, each life is quite a lot—but I just figured that with two…”

“ _Two?_ ”

Ahsoka blinked. At Padmé’s stunned expression, she slowly realized that perhaps the senator wasn’t completely aware.

“Oh,” Ahsoka said in a small voice. “You didn’t…”

“No,” Padmé said.

“Oh,” Ahsoka repeated. She bit down on her lip, rubbed a hand at the back of her neck. “Well…surprise?”

“ _Two_ ,” Padmé only said. She looked down at her stomach, her eyebrows inching upwards. “Oh.”

“Should I…” Ahsoka watched Padmé carefully. Padmé was still staring at her stomach, her eyes both seeing and not. The senator lifted a hand to her lips, her hair slipping past her face so that Ahsoka couldn’t see the rest of her face. “Should I not have…”

Padmé looked up, and Ahsoka found shining eyes.

“ _Twins_ ,” Padmé said softly. “That’s…” She let out a short, incredulous laugh that ended in a soft sob. “Oh, _Anakin_ …”

Ahsoka’s chest tightened. She moved forward, and it was her turn to wrap her arms around Padmé’s shoulders.

“He should be here,” Padmé whispered into Ahsoka’s shoulder. “He should _be here_ …”

Ahsoka felt something dampen her shirt. She didn’t mind.

\--

Ahsoka woke up in a bed that was too soft.

She rolled over on her side, rubbing a hand over her face. Registering the morning light filtering through the shades. Feeling the too-soft sheets against her skin as she slowly sat up. She looked around the room once. It took her another moment before realizing that this wasn’t her apartment.

Padmé’s—she was at Padmé’s.

Everything came rushing back quickly: seeing Obi-Wan outside the garage. Talking. Going to Padmé’s. Everything that came after.

Her shirt still _felt_ damp, even though when she looked, it was dry.

Ahsoka slipped out of bed, still rubbing her hand over her face. She found the refresher. Turned on the lights, then the shower. She waited a moment too long before realizing that the water here wouldn’t take a few minutes to warm up.

Ahsoka slipped under the shower, made quick work of cleaning herself. The rest of her body slowly, steadily woke, but her muscles felt sore all over.

When she walked out of the refresher, she smelled oil, eggs. Heard the hissing of the pan and the quietest clatters of forks and plates.

Ahsoka’s stomach grumbled, and she couldn’t remember how long it had been since she had her last meal. She walked out to of the hallway, where she found Obi-Wan and Padmé both hovering in the kitchen. They were speaking quietly, and only when Ahsoka grew closer did she make out snippets of their conversation: “I can do this for myself, Obi-Wan.”

“I’m sure you can.”

“Then why are you _hovering?_ ”

“Well—”

Ahsoka almost smiled at Padmé snatching the plate out of Obi-Wan’s hand. “ _Please_ don’t hover,” she said. “Bail has already complained enough to me about your cooking.”

“Bail has an agenda.”

“Yes, an agenda to make sure that no one here falls victim to your cooking,” Padmé replied. “Now sit _down_.”

Obi-Wan smiled. Ahsoka could tell that much from where she stood. She wondered if she should be smiling now—but when Obi-Wan looked up at her, she just nodded.

“Good morning,” Obi-Wan said. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes,” Ahsoka said. “You?”

“Fine,” Obi-Wan replied.

Ahsoka nodded.

Obi-Wan nodded back.

“Breakfast will be ready in just a minute,” Padmé said, turning around. She beamed at Ahsoka as though they hadn’t just been crying the night before. “You might as well sit down.”

“Are you sure you don’t want any help?” Ahsoka asked, walking forward.

“I’m sure,” Padmé replied. She slid a spatula into the pan. Eggs sizzled in protest as Padmé shifted them around. “There’s some toast and some fruit—if there’s anything else—”

“No, this is fine,” Ahsoka said. She scooted the plates forward to catch the eggs. “You know, you didn’t really have to—”

“I know I didn’t,” Padmé finished. She set down the pan. “Now. Shall we?”

Ahsoka managed a brief smile. “But of course.”

They made their way to the table—Ahsoka passed Obi-Wan a plate.

“Thank you.”

“Welcome,” Ahsoka replied.

The three sat down in unison, and for a little while, the only sounds were those of chewing and clattering silverware.

“So,” Padmé said. “What now? Where do you plan to go?”

Ahsoka looked at Obi-Wan. “We could try for the nearest star system,” she said. “The place where you two last were. If there’s a chance that he—”

But Obi-Wan shook his head. “I don’t think that’ll be too much help,” he said. “There are already people searching there, and the way Anakin disappeared—” He paused, frowning down at his plate. “No. Something tells me it can’t be that simple.”

“Maybe it _is_ that simple,” Ahsoka said. “Maybe wherever he wound up is a big planet—maybe there’s already—”

“Do you truly believe that?” Obi-Wan asked. He spoke in a neutral enough tone, but Ahsoka noted the way his eyes flicked to hers.

“Well, we don’t have any other starting points, do we?” Ahsoka asked, forking one of her eggs.

“You said you felt something,” Obi-Wan pointed out. “Before—that makes me think that there has to be something more complicated.” He pushed aside his plate. “You said it yourself—you felt something when he disappeared.”

Ahsoka suddenly wished she hadn’t eaten anything after all. “Yeah,” she said, setting down her fork. “But that was…” She shook her head. “Maybe there’s something weird going on with the planet you two last were in—I mean, we’ve had our fair share of strange.”

Obi-Wan frowned. “Yes,” he said. “We have. But our last operation wasn’t anything like that.”

Padmé cleared her throat, and both Ahsoka and Obi-Wan turned to look at her.

“Maybe Ahsoka,” she said quietly, “could try speaking to Rex? He was the only other one who probably saw Anakin, after all.” She looked at Ahsoka, and Ahsoka had the strange feeling that the senator hadn’t just been talking about Rex for the sake of the search. “There could be a good chance that he might give Ahsoka an idea that you might not have had, Obi-Wan.”

Ahsoka looked at Padmé, then at Obi-Wan.

“That could work,” Obi-Wan said. He looked at Ahsoka. “That is, if you’d be comfortable.”

Ahsoka looked down at the table. The sun was starting to brighten the room a little more now, still enough to cast shadows. Enough for Ahsoka to probably feel warm, but she still didn’t.

“Sounds like a plan,” she said, standing up.

Obi-Wan stood too. “Senator—”

“I know,” Padmé said. She rested her hands against the table. “You’ll find him.”

She stood up, smiled briefly at both Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. “I don’t suppose you’ll be coming back after you speak with Rex?”

“There’s a good chance we’ll try to leave soon after,” Obi-Wan replied apologetically.

Padmé nodded. “I wouldn’t want you two to wait any longer than you have to.” She looked at Ahsoka. “Look after each other.”

Ahsoka looked once at Obi-Wan. He looked back at her before the two of them were both reaching for their cloaks, adjusting their sleeves.

“And stay safe,” Padmé finished.

“You know us, Senator,” Ahsoka managed.

“I know,” Padmé said, smiling sadly. “That’s why I’m telling you.”

\--

Ahsoka wasn’t sure how Rex would react to her suddenly appearing at the barracks. A part of her had expected some kind of shock at least, or maybe some shouting—because she hadn’t said goodbye to him either, and for some reason, that was the only thing she could think of as Obi-Wan and she got closer and closer to the barracks. She hadn’t said goodbye _she hadn’t said goodbye_ —

But then Rex walked out of the barracks, and where Ahsoka had expected some kind of stillness, she was instead met with a smile. A wide smile, one that made Ahsoka wonder if maybe she was just seeing things but no, he was still smiling for what Ahsoka had the painful feeling might have been the first time in a while.

“Commander,” was what Rex said when they reached each other. “Didn’t think I’d be seeing you again so soon.”

Ahsoka’s chest hurt when she smiled back. “Well,” she said, “that makes the two of us.”

Rex’s smile widened, and he blurred in front of Ahsoka.

“Anyways,” Ahsoka said, blinking quickly, “I wish there were happier reasons for why I’m here. But the thing is…”

Rex’s smile faded a little at that—but he nodded. “Then you know.”

“I do,” Ahsoka replied. “For a little while now, actually—but…” She swallowed. “I know.”

Rex’s smile vanished completely. He just pressed his lips together, nodded. “Are you looking for him?”

“I mean to,” Ahsoka replied.

Rex looked past Ahsoka’s shoulder, to where Ahsoka knew Obi-Wan waited.

“We’re trying to keep quiet about it,” Ahsoka said.

“No need to explain to me, Commander,” Rex said.

“You don’t have to call me _commander_ anymore,” Ahsoka said, looking down.

“Sure thing, Commander,” Rex replied.

Ahsoka looked back up, meaning to protest, but Rex was already going on. Still, she was relieved to find the slightest of smiles returned to his face. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“We’re wondering if you have any ideas or thoughts about where we should start looking,” Ahsoka replied. “Because so far, Obi-Wan doesn’t think it’s worth searching the place where you all last were…”

“Considering that there weren’t any escape pods taken and that the other Jedi are searching there,” Rex said, “that doesn’t surprise me.” He looked at Ahsoka curiously. “Does it surprise you?”

Ahsoka looked backwards to where Obi-Wan waited. He just nodded at Ahsoka and Rex before going back to the speeder.

“Commander?”

And then, quieter, “Ahsoka?”

“I don’t know,” Ahsoka said, turning back around to Rex. “I just don’t want to go back and hear him say that he told me so.”

Rex’s brows furrowed. “I don’t think General Kenobi’s the type to…”

“He definitely is,” Ahsoka said wearily. “You’ve heard him with Anakin.”

“I suppose,” Rex said. “But then again, I’ve also heard him with _you_.”

Ahsoka looked sharply at Rex. “It’s not—” She stopped short. “Is there anything else, do you think? Anything that you can think of?”

Rex paused. “General Kenobi didn’t happen to mention a fight, did he?”

Ahsoka remembered. The speeder ride to Padmé’s place. Obi-Wan refusing to look at her.

“He did,” she said. “Do you know what it was about?”

“Not entirely—just heard some snatches,” Rex said. Even though it was just the two of them, Rex lowered his voice. “I think the general didn’t want to do something. That’s what it sounded like to me.”

Ahsoka paused. “What exactly?”

“I didn’t catch enough to know,” Rex said. “But whatever it was…Skywalker was angry.”

Ahsoka looked back to Obi-Wan. “Yeah,” she said, feeling that lingering cold spread from her hands, up her spine. “I can imagine.”

Moments passed before Rex said, “If it’s you and General Kenobi, then…I think he might come home.”

Ahsoka looked at Rex. “You should come with us,” she said quietly.

Rex’s lips turned down. “I want to,” he said. “I would.”

Ahsoka looked past to the barracks. She imagined how the 501st were now—general missing. What would happen to all of them if there wasn’t a general coming back home? Would they be split into different companies, or would a new general come in to replace Anakin? _Replace_ —that was a word that Ahsoka shoved out of her mind as quickly as it had come in.

“We’ll let you know if we find anything,” Ahsoka said at last. “You can count on it.”

“I know I can,” Rex replied. He looked down at Ahsoka. “Good luck, Commander. Ahsoka.”

Ahsoka nodded. She looked up at Rex a last time—and she knew that this would be where she turned around, walked away.

She hovered a moment longer instead.

“Sorry I didn’t say goodbye earlier,” Ahsoka said. “I should have.”

Rex’s lips twitched again. “Don’t believe in goodbyes,” he said. He stepped backwards. “I’ll just see you when you get back.”

At that, Ahsoka smiled. She nodded again, and after Rex nodded back, she headed for the speeder.

\--

“It’s a bit old, but it’s reliable,” Trace was saying. She pushed herself away from the controls, passed Ahsoka a rucksack.

“What’s this?” Ahsoka asked, looking inside. She tugged out canteens, a zipped up bag that she couldn’t see the contents of.

“Told you,” Trace said. “Next time, we’d have an actual breakfast. Well. _You’ll_ have an actual breakfast.”

“Oh.” Ahsoka closed the rucksack. “Trace, I—thanks.”

“’Course,” Trace said, smiling. She ducked back to the controls. “Anyways, this model should be fine.” She looked at both Ahsoka and Obi-Wan. “You two have an idea where you want to go yet? Because depending on the distance, there’s a chance that you _might_ need to stop to refuel, like, once, but it shouldn’t be too much of an issue if it’s not too far from here.”

Ahsoka and Obi-Wan exchanged a look.

“Well,” Ahsoka said, “I guess it’s not at the place where you two last were.”

“So Rex agreed,” Obi-Wan said.

“Maybe.”

Trace blinked. “You two haven’t decided on—”

“We’re still thinking, I’m afraid,” Obi-Wan said. “Things have been a little…dark.”

“Well, that’s _one_ way to describe it,” Ahsoka said, leaning against the wall. “It’s kinda hard to figure things out when there’s not too much to go on.”

“We’ll figure something out,” Obi-Wan said steadily. “Miss Martez, if you don’t mind explaining more of the—”

“Yeah, I can—”

“What were you and Anakin fighting about?” Ahsoka asked suddenly.

Trace fell silent. Obi-Wan looked at Ahsoka.

“Rex said something that Anakin didn’t want to do something,” Ahsoka said. “And that might have been what you two were fighting about.” She pushed herself off the wall. “Maybe that could be something to lead us for where he might have disappeared to.”

Obi-Wan lowered his eyes. “I don’t think—”

“That that’s it?” Ahsoka asked. She crossed her arms. “We both _know_ Anakin—if there was something that happened to him, maybe it was related to whatever…”

“He wouldn’t have disappeared because of _that_ ,” Obi-Wan said sharply. “This is a discussion that we’ve had _many_ times over—”

“So maybe it was just _enough_ times—”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Obi-Wan asked quietly.

Ahsoka paused. She crossed her arms tighter around herself. “You can’t be serious,” she said at last.

“I wish I weren’t.”

“Well, you two _do_ fight,” Ahsoka said. “Sometimes Anakin does something, and sometimes you don’t agree, or it’s the other way around—and _maybe_ , something just—”

“Forced him to leave?” Obi-Wan interrupted. “Made him want to leave?”

Ahsoka stopped.

Obi-Wan did too.

Trace cleared her throat, but both Obi-Wan and Ahsoka ignored her.

“He wouldn’t leave just because of a disagreement,” Obi-Wan said at last.

Ahsoka pressed her lips together. “Maybe it wasn’t just a disagreement to him.”

“This isn’t—”

“Well, if _I_ was running away, I’d run to someplace that was easy for me to disappear,” Trace said, turning around to the controls.

“Anakin doesn’t run away,” Ahsoka and Obi-Wan said in unison.

They looked at each other, looked away.

Trace lifted her hands. “I’m just saying,” she said slowly. “If your guy doesn’t seem to have a trace on him, maybe look for some place where it’s hard to trace people in the first place?” She shrugged. “People disappear all the time. They have to go _somewhere_ to do that.”

“But we just said that he doesn’t—” Ahsoka stopped short. Something lurked in the back of her memory—an old, old moment, one that suddenly brought with it the harsh heat of two suns instead of one…dunes of sand, rising and falling around her in deceptively gentle slopes. Watching footprints fade behind her over time. Watching a pair of footprints appear before her. _This desert is merciless. It’ll take everything away from you._

“Tatooine,” Ahsoka whispered.

Obi-Wan looked at Ahsoka.

“Tatooine,” Ahsoka repeated. “That’s where we need to go.”

\--

_He feels something brush against his fingers. He thinks he can grasp it, but as soon as he thinks, the feeling goes away._

_He hears someone say something. He thinks it's a someone._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, comments/kudos/subscriptions are greatly appreciated! see y'all in another two weeks!

**Author's Note:**

> updates will be bi-weekly, so once every two weeks!


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